Hole-in-the-wall beef skewers

By John Gregory-Smith, Olive

Whether you're cooking for date night or game night, a recipe that is easy to prepare but leaves an impression is the way to go. This dish—which in Italy is known as spaghetti all'ubriaco or “drunken” pasta, combines thin strands of spaghetti with a reduced red wine-shallot sauce. Studded with bits of salty pancetta and sprinkled with Pecorino Romano cheese, it's a thirty-minute meal that is perfect for serving alongside slices of good crusty bread and a green salad.


Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: serves 4

Ingredients

ONION SALAD

• red onion 1, finely sliced
• lemon 1, juiced
• sumac 1 tsp
• flat-leaf parsley a small handful, finely chopped

KEBABS

• minced beef (ideally use 20% fat)) 450g
• onion ½, grated
• ground allspice ½ tsp
• flat-leaf parsley a small handful, finely chopped
• lebanese seven-spice or baharat ½ tsp
• aleppo pepper 1 ½ tsp
• pine nuts 25g, toasted
• garlic 2 cloves, crushed

TO SERVE

• hummus 300g
• flatbreads

Method

Step 1

Put the sliced onion into a bowl with the lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt. Mix well and leave to macerate for 15 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat the grill or barbecue to high. Put all the ingredients for the kebabs and a generous pinch of salt into a large bowl and mix well. Form into sausage- shaped patties and thread the meat onto flat skewers (these prevent the meat from turning when you flip them over on the barbecue). You should be able to make 8 kebabs. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until charred and juicy.

Step 3

Add the sumac and parsley to the macerated onions and mix well.

Step 4

To serve, spread the hummus on a serving dish. Lay the kebabs on top and pile on the onions. Serve immediately with flatbreads.

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